Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncrlnk!ncr-sd!hp-sdd!hplabs!hpfcdc!hpldola!hp-lsd!hp-col!warren
From: warren@hp-col.HP.COM (Warren Tustin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
Subject: Re: Which C64 disk drive?
Message-ID: <410004@hp-col.HP.COM>
Date: 24 Jan 89 18:07:15 GMT
References: <410002@hp-col.HP.COM>
Organization: HP Colorado Springs Division
Lines: 36


	Thanks for all of the reponses to my query about disk drives.
	I also talked to the manufacturer of the Excellerator FSD2
	to see what they had to say for their drive.  Below I have summed
	up what I found out.

	The 1571 is no longer being made as a separate drive.  It also had
	many early bugs and unless I really want to move up, it is probably
	not the best buy.

	The 1541-II is a 1541 with the supply separated.  It is more reliable
	than the 1541 but still has a belt drive and hence the head rattling,
	although because of the supply being moved, the head slippage probably
	is greatly reduced.

	The FSD-2 is not made by the same company as made the FSD-1 and has
	a direct drive mechanism.  It is also not the same as the Enhancer
	2000, which was not fully compatible with the 1541.  There is also
	another disk drive, the _____ 2001, (I don't remember) that is no
	longer sold here, since it used a 1571 ROM copy for the OS and so
	infringed on the Commodore patent.  Commodore took them to court to
	block sales.  According to the manufacturer of the FSD-2, they had
	a contest in England to give an AMIGA 500 system to anyone who could
	find a piece of software that would not load on the FSD-2 but would
	load on the 1541.  As far as he knew, no one did.  

	Since I am trying to get the best deal, I was able to find a mail
	order company (Computer Direct) with whom I have dealt in the past,
	and who could ship the FSD2 to my door for $153 with a 15 day trial.
	After I get it, which should be in a few days, I will try my software 
	and let you know how it loads.  Also the FSD2 has a 1 year guarantee
        and the 1541II does not.

	Sorry this is so long, but I thought others might be interested in
	this info.
					 Warren